Pakistan has adopted an elaborate, multi-pronged, and long-term strategy aimed at shaping global perception of Kashmir. This approach also seeks to influence how the international community views its ongoing tensions and disputes with India. This twisted discourse goes beyond diplomatic dialogue, deeply incorporating academic institutions, think-tanks, and exploiting its worldwide over 7-million diaspora population. The intent is to promote a narrative that often questions India’s sovereignty over Kashmir. It also seeks to highlight perceived flaws within India’s secular fabric, placing them at the center of global attention.
Key findings show that Pakistani state-aligned think tanks play a major role in advancing this agenda internationally. Institutions like the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), and Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) are central to this effort. They actively provide funding to scholars and research projects in foreign universities to shape academic and policy discourse.
The funding is often an implicit barter to get the academics to produce an output sympathetic to the pro-Pakistan viewpoint. At the same time, the Pakistani diaspora plays an active role in promoting Pakistan’s narrative on Kashmir. With support from groups like YFK–International Kashmir Lobby Group, they engage in coordinated lobbying and media outreach. Their efforts also focus on mobilizing public opinion and influencing foreign policymakers through sustained advocacy campaigns. Their aim is to internationalize the Kashmir issue and foster a negative portrayal of India.
The Evolving Landscape of Narrative Warfare Against India:
After the Pahalgam carnage and limited hostilities, India launched a large-scale diplomatic offensive by dispatching seven delegations to 33 countries, comprising lawmakers and experts. The objective was to rally international support against cross-border terrorism and present concrete evidence of Pakistan’s involvement. Meanwhile, Pakistan intensified its coordinated efforts to push its Kashmir narrative against India, using channels beyond traditional diplomacy, particularly through global universities and think tanks. This campaign aimed to revive the Jammu and Kashmir issue as an international dispute requiring intervention from the United Nations.
The core diplomatic challenge in these dynamics is Pakistan’s attempt to polarize global opinion through a targeted narrative. It aims to undermine India’s secular image by spreading claims that India fails to protect its religious minorities. These claims persist despite India’s established secular credentials and constitutional framework for minority rights. India’s real difficulty lies in countering these entrenched and subtly propagated narratives at the international level. Such narratives often question the legitimacy of India’s conduct and its internal governance on the global stage.
Though India’s diplomatic outreach has been fairly robust post-Pahalgam, it remains largely reactive, with a short-term focus on counterterrorism and high-level messaging. In contrast, Pakistan follows a concerted long-term strategy, integrating narrative shaping into its foreign policy and security agenda. Over decades, it has embedded this approach within academic circles and diaspora networks. Despite having the means to mount a strong military and diplomatic counter, India often ends up playing catch-up. This slower response in shaping global perception can cost India valuable diplomatic capital, even after significant achievements like Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan’s Strategic Influence through Think-Tanks and Academia
Pakistan’s strategic influence can be largely considered as exercised through government-sponsored think-tanks. Upon close examination, one realizes that Pakistan-sponsored institutions have been active in research institutes worldwide for a long period, frequently offering funding to researchers via scholarships administered by them.
Among them, the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) certainly holds special significance. IPRI claims to be an independent organization, but it was established in 1999 under formal affiliation with Pakistan’s National Security Division. It is headed by Lt. General (Retd.) Majid Ehsan, a retired three-star general, reflecting a direct connection to Pakistan’s military intelligence establishment. Other Pakistan-based institutions with official government ties include the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), both operating under the country’s foreign ministry.
These organizations have been known to entice distinguished scholars with promises of funding for their research scholars. Pakistan has strategically used academic platforms to promote anti-India narratives, often under the guise of independent research. Scholars are funded by tutors or institutions with the expectation of promoting pro-Pakistan arguments abroad. A key vulnerability exploited in this process is the chronic underfunding of many global academic institutions, especially in the Global South. This financial strain makes researchers more open to accepting funding without scrutinizing its source. In some cases, personal financial need pushes scholars—particularly from South Asia—to accept money from Pakistani think tanks, compromising academic integrity and enabling manipulation of their work to fit a pre-set narrative.
One illustrative example shows IPRI sponsoring a project at Deakin University in Australia and awarding $126,462 to an associate research fellow for a study titled “Vulnerabilities of Religious Minorities in Shining India.” This project highlights how Pakistan channels funds into international academia to spotlight India’s internal issues instead of addressing its own. Simultaneously, opinion leaders affiliated with Pakistani military-backed institutions push phrases like “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” reinforcing anti-India sentiment while undermining India’s international stance against terrorism.
Beyond Kashmir, these influencers claim India offered no proof of Pakistani involvement in the Pahalgam attack prior to its retaliatory strikes. They portray India as an aggressive state akin to Israel, treating Pakistan like Gaza. They label India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as an act of cruel nationalism. At the same time, Pakistani think tanks attempt to enhance their country’s image.Pakistan showcases initiatives like the Kartarpur Corridor as symbols of its interfaith harmony and commitment to minority rights. It often contrasts these efforts with India, where Sikh marriages are still governed by Hindu laws. These narratives ignore the steady decline of minority populations within Pakistan, revealing a glaring double standard.
Pakistan’s approach reflects a sophisticated weaponization of academic research. By selectively funding projects and scholars, it ensures its propaganda is repackaged as legitimate academic output. This “evidence-based” literature promotes a view of India as an unstable and discriminatory state. Under the pretext of scholarly inquiry, Pakistan has converted academic research into a soft power tool for geopolitical polarization. It exploits the credibility of academia to build global narratives aligned with its interests.
The focus on India’s minority vulnerabilities becomes even more ironic considering Pakistan’s internal crises—ranging from religious polarization and economic instability to deepening moral decay. This calculated distraction serves to project its internal failures onto India. It’s a textbook case of projection and strategic hypocrisy, allowing Pakistan to sidestep scrutiny over its human rights record while persistently attacking India’s democratic fabric through cloaked academic endorsements.
The Role of the Pakistani Diaspora in Global Advocacy
Of the various diaspora organizations, YFK-International Kashmir Lobby Group (Youth Forum for Kashmir) enjoys prominence. This non-profit organization is based in Islamabad and was founded in 2013. YFK (Youth Forum for Kashmir) comprises experts in human rights, diplomacy, and international law. They advocate for Kashmiri self-determination through a plebiscite under UN Security Council Resolution 47. The organization plays a key role in creating and spreading knowledge about Kashmir, training speakers on political, legal, gender, and human rights aspects to engage global audiences. Publications like
“Global Reactions to Kashmir Crisis” and “Changing Language and Ethnicity: India on a Warpath in Kashmir” reflect their efforts to shape global discourse.
Similarly, Kashmir Campaign Global in the UK, led by Zaffar Ahmad Quraishi, aims to bring international attention to Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir and encourages the diaspora to use media for strategic advocacy. Pakistan also actively employs lobbying firms and diaspora groups to influence foreign policy discussions, particularly in the U.S., countering India’s narrative on Kashmir, nuclear policy, and military assistance. Linden Government Solutions worked with Pakistan to offer PR and consulting services, including generating adverse reports about India. IPRI hired Team Eagle Consulting to counteract narratives shaped by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lobbying in the U.S., revealing a fragmented but determined effort to steer global opinion.
Diaspora communities also lobby host governments, pushing for Kashmiri self-determination. Between 2013 and 2021, YFK shaped media narratives in Pakistan, reviving political interest in Kashmir with slogans like “Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of Pakistani independence.”
However, internal divisions driven by politics, ideology, or personal agendas often undermine the diaspora’s potential and weaken its collective voice.
Another major challenge is the growing “Kashmir fatigue”—a decline in international interest due to competing global crises and prolonged stalemate. Organizations like YFK acknowledge this problem, noting that global distractions and time erosion lessen engagement. Pakistan’s strategy, therefore, is not just to express an opinion but to continually build and reinforce one. Pakistan persistently funds think tanks and mobilizes its diaspora to keep the Kashmir issue relevant on the global stage. While Pakistan’s efforts may challenge India’s image in the short term, sustaining this campaign long-term remains difficult, especially as global attention shifts to newer geopolitical flashpoints.
Disinformation Campaigns and False Narratives: A Direct Challenge to India’s Image
Pakistan’s narrative warfare against India hinges on well-orchestrated disinformation campaigns designed to erode India’s global image and credibility. These campaigns deploy false narratives across digital and diplomatic platforms, posing a direct challenge to India’s international standing.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, a barrage of misinformation flooded social media. Pro-Pakistan accounts spread baseless claims that Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar had been removed or arrested for security lapses. He was the Northern Army Commander, and the claim quickly gained traction on social media platforms. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) promptly fact-checked and debunked the rumour, clarifying the situation. It stated that Lt Gen Kumar was scheduled for retirement and that a successor had already been appointed.
Other fabricated claims soon followed, including a widely circulated falsehood. This one alleged that Pakistan had shot down an Indian Rafale fighter jet across the Line of Control in the Poonch sector. The PIB again stepped in, confirming the circulated video was actually from a previous Sukhoi-30MKI crash in Maharashtra.
In a more serious attempt to distort the truth, a Pakistani general tweeted that India had attacked Pakistan on May 6–7, destroying six fighter jets including a Rafale. He further alleged India was using drones to spread terrorism in Pakistan and warned of a “measured and painful response.” These claims, devoid of evidence, were part of a coordinated campaign to muddy the waters. Actors circulated fake documents online claiming to reveal Indian Army preparedness, but Indian authorities later debunked all of them.
Pakistani officials added fuel to this disinformation drive. One general claimed India’s response to Pahalgam marked “a dangerous trend of escalation without accountability,” and accused it of “weaponising narratives.” Pakistan’s Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, falsely claimed India was preparing for imminent military action.
Such statements were paired with manipulative language use. For instance, when Indian platform Sportskeeda used the term “Indian-occupied Kashmir” (IoK) in a post, it triggered immediate backlash. The phrase has political roots in Pakistan’s lexicon and is used deliberately to undermine Indian sovereignty.
Pakistan’s narrative agents—including influencers and scholars—have also drawn provocative comparisons between India and Israel. They claim India treats Pakistan like Gaza, exploiting its economic advantage to justify military aggression. Additionally, Pakistan portrayed the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as a symbol of India’s inhumanity and “muscular nationalism,” even though India acted within the treaty’s provisions.
These deliberate fabrications deeply influence international perception. The rapid dissemination of such disinformation builds a distorted image of India. This makes it harder for Indian narratives to gain traction globally. In the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, India’s inability to produce quick, public proof of Pakistani involvement led to international scepticism. As a result, diplomatic efforts undermined even concrete military achievements, such as those from Operation Sindoor. The prevailing sentiment became that “India won the battle but lost the narrative.”
This became especially evident when the international community credited the United States for brokering the ceasefire, and India failed to counter the claim swiftly. The delay allowed this version to take hold in global opinion, turning a military success into a narrative setback. This “theatre of deception” aims not only to distort facts but also to invert reality. It paints Pakistan as the victim and India as the aggressor, while conveniently hiding Pakistan’s long-standing record of sheltering terrorists.
Ultimately, Pakistan has orchestrated these campaigns as part of a long-term strategy to control global discourse on Kashmir. They also aim to influence perceptions of India’s internal affairs through sustained and coordinated efforts. By using digital warfare, academic manipulation, political rhetoric, and media infiltration, Pakistan pushes its propaganda globally. This comes at the cost of objectivity, regional stability, and India’s hard-earned diplomatic capital on the international stage.
India’s Counter-Narrative and Diplomatic Response:
Indian delegations presented strong evidence globally, exposing Pakistan’s direct support for terrorism through multiple documented incidents. This included Pakistani military officials attending terrorist funerals, clearly signaling institutional support for extremist groups. Additionally, India pointed to the existence of 52 UN-listed terror organizations operating and training within Pakistani territory. India also emphasized its firm rejection of nuclear blackmail as a coercive tool in regional power dynamics. Moreover, it outlined a strategic shift toward measured military responses, based on a zero-tolerance approach to cross-border terrorism.
India has actively countered disinformation, with the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunking several widely circulated fake news items. These included false claims about changes in military leadership and fabricated reports of Rafale fighter jet losses. Despite these efforts, India continues to face significant challenges in the information domain. Pakistan’s rapid spread of false narratives creates a “first mover advantage,” allowing misinformation to shape public perception before India can respond effectively.
To overcome this, India needs a faster, more proactive communication strategy that gets ahead of unfolding narratives. The disinformation ecosystem emerging from Pakistan includes state actors, military-linked think tanks, and seemingly independent social media handles. Together, they form a complex and decentralized network that spreads coordinated false narratives. Countering this network requires India to go beyond traditional state-level responses and adopt a broader communication strategy. This involves deeper engagement with academic institutions, diaspora communities, and digital influencers to dismantle the wider architecture of disinformation effectively.
